


Race Into My Heart

by TurboToast



Category: Need for Speed (Video Games), Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Car Racing, Enthusiastic Consent, F/F, First Dates, Fluff, Oral Sex, Prompt Fill, Vaginal Fingering, Widowtracer, gratuitous car porn, present day, tracemaker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2018-10-26 23:01:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10796562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TurboToast/pseuds/TurboToast
Summary: Unaware of a risqué dare between friends, Lena Oxton tries her best to win a high-stakes private race. When all seems lost, she gets help from someone entirely unexpected - and attractive. Meanwhile, a gang of reckless street racers is drawing unwanted attention to the car scene of Ventura Bay.





	1. The race

**Author's Note:**

> This was prompted by [Tafferling](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Tafferling) on the Discord. I had a blast writing it, I hope you will when you're reading. If you want to listen to music, [Nero - Me and You (Dirtyphonics Remix)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ubHFHClNhM) goes very well with it.

Lena Oxton was highly focused. Two angry looking LED headlights veered from left to right and back in her rearview mirror, looking for an opportunity to pass. Last lap of the race, not a chance she’d let Genji past. His 300hp Kawasaki Ninja H2R was too fast on the straights for her to catch up to it if she did. Her territory was in the corners, top speed was not the specialty of her turbocharged Honda S2000. Behind the next corner, the dreaded main straight came in sight.  
The race was held on an abandoned airfield. Lena had worked out a comfortable lead after she’d swerved around the tangled mess the others had made in the first chicane, but now they were catching up.  
  
Lena shifted down a gear with a blip of the throttle, which was commented by several pops and crackles from the screaming F20C up front.  
  
_Alright, make yourself as wide as possible in the corner,_ she thought. _Don’t be daft._  
  
With barely any body roll, the bright orange Honda carved through the corner. As soon as she shot past the apex, Lena got back onto the throttle. The tachometer climbed steadily, she was already past 7200 rpm, the right tires squealing under the load, almost losing traction. The main straight was wide enough for a Boeing 747, but a wrong line could cost her the lead.  
As she straightened the car out, she looked in the mirror again. The angry headlights were nowhere to be found.  
  
_What?_  
  
A carbon gray, bike-shaped shadow screamed past her, almost went off track and cut in front of her at well over 150 km/h.  
  
“Bollocks!” she shouted and slammed on the brakes.  
  
The car shuddered as the ABS worked its magic and the Voltex splitter up front scraped the pavement. Lena quickly shifted down into second gear and the small turbo under the hood spooled back up. The sudden surge of boost made the rear wheels fight for traction, clawing at the cracked concrete.  
She wasn’t fast enough.  
A huge Dodge Challenger, black as night, roared past. It was followed by a dark purple Audi TTRS, its five-cylinder sound reverberating over the airfield.  
Lena’s Honda was ready to give chase again. The drivers behind her were too occupied with fighting for position among themselves, so she filed in behind the Audi. It belonged to Amélie Lacroix, and she wasn’t even close to driving as fast as she could. Lena knew Amélie was arrogant and rich, but they had bet quite a bit of money on this race. It was the last one in the series after all. Going easy didn’t make sense.

At the end of the main straight was a long left bend. Lena expected the big black Dodge to slow down, but it didn’t. It moved way too swiftly for a car its size. The speedo crossed 240 km/h and they made no move to position themselves for the sharp left turn at the end of this bend.  
It approached quickly. Lena slowed down and moved to the outside for the best line. Behind her, she heard the wail of a big twin screw supercharger. Morrison had caught up to them. His Mustang was big and heavy, but its brutal acceleration made up for it. Then, something totally unexpected happened.  
Lena gasped.  
  
Amélie’s TTRS darted around the inside of the black Challenger, outbraked it and confined it to the outside of the turn. As Lena took the corner past them, she saw Amélie blowing a kiss at her while she blocked ‘Reaper’ in the Dodge with a four-wheel power slide.  
  
_Did she just…? No time to think about it, race!_  
  
Genji, still up ahead,  turned around the next bend. The part of the track that was in the taxiways was very technical, Lena had a significant advantage over the bike here. She just had to use it. She shimmied her butt back as far as it would go and straightened her back.  
  
_I’m coming for you._  
  
The blow off valve under the hood chittered like an overly excited bird on the downshift. Lena hoped the spoilers and splitters did their job because she entered the corner a little faster than she was usually comfortable with.  
And they did.  
The Honda flew through the corner like it was on rails, reeling in Genji’s monstrous Kawasaki. At the end of this short straight was a left hairpin, that was her chance. He had to slow down a lot more than Lena. By the time she exited the corner, his bike was right in front of her. On the oncoming straight, the purple TTRS danced around Morrison’s Mustang with ease. It looked like automotive ballet, the car wore a tutu of white tire smoke.  
  
_Blimey, she must have a lot of power…_  
  
She had to stop thinking about that woman and win a race. Genji leaned into the next sweeping right hander and Lena stepped on it. As she crossed 6000 rpm, the sharper VTEC cam profile engaged, shoving her forwards with added urgency. The tires gripped the tarmac firmly and she slowly but surely pulled past the bike. Now she had the inside line for the next left turn, but that hadn’t stopped Genji on the main straight either.  
Brake. Turn. Accelerate.  
The bike was practically glued to her exhaust, but the following few turns slowed it. Increased the distance.  
And there it was. The back straight. She couldn’t let him pass, not with the victory that close. She listened for the engine, for that perfect shift. As she’d reached sixth gear and still hadn’t been passed, she dared to look in the mirror again.  
  
Two angry looking LED headlights. But not those of a bike. They flashed and swerved to the left. It was Amélie, and she zig-zagged in an almost erratic fashion behind her. Only once, Lena caught a glimpse of Genji’s bike, desperately trying to overtake her.  
  
_She’s holding him back._  
  
_Why?_  
  
It didn’t matter. The S2000 screamed across the finish line and Lena hugged her steering wheel for a second before she slowed down. She rolled towards the old hangars and looked for a suitable spot to park. Lena glanced at the temperature gauges. A little on the hot side, but nothing to worry about. As the car came to a stop, she saw the black Dodge speed off towards the mesh gate.  
  
_Sore loser,_ she thought.  
  
The only thing she’d seen of ‘Reaper’ was a black helmet with a white skull on the front. She wondered whether or not the guy could even see and if that was the reason he lost.  
Lena sat in the car and couldn’t quite believe she won.  
  
_Why did she hel--_  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by a set of perfectly manicured fingers knocking on her window. Lena opened the door and got out of her bucket seat.  
  
“Hello,” Amélie said.  
  
Her voice was husky and low, and she had a strong French accent. She was breathtakingly pretty, too. Someone like that was usually not into women, taken or both in Lena’s experience.  
  
“H-hi.”  
  
_Oh crap, why did I stammer?_  
  
Amélie was silent. The tall Frenchwoman smiled and looked at her with striking gold eyes like she expected her to say something.  
Lena extended a hand.  
  
“Good race,” she said as confidently as possible.  
  
Amélie shook her hand and chuckled.  
  
“ _Merci”,_ she said. “ _Mes félicitations.”_  
  
Again, she stopped talking and just smiled that beautiful, knowing smile.  
  
“Uh, wh-why’d you do that?” Lena asked. “Help me.”  
  
Amélie stepped closer and Lena inwardly begged her body to stay calm. Now she was definitely inside her personal bubble, both alluring and intimidating at the same time. Lena’s heart felt like it was about to jump out of her throat, but she didn’t back away.  
  
“Because I bet money on you,” Amélie said. “And because a friend dared me to have a date with the winner.”  
  
Lena’s eyes widened. She couldn’t look away, Amélie’s gaze locked her in. Amélie came even closer, their shoulders almost touched. She bent down a little towards Lena’s ear. She smelled of lavender and caramel.  
  
“And,” she purred right into Lena’s ear, “because I wanted that winner to be you.”  
  
Lena could feel her breath and then the gentle touch of her lips against her flushed cheek. Lena thought her heart stopped. Suddenly, the prize money was utterly irrelevant.  
Leaving a completely flustered Lena, Amélie walked back to her Audi.  
  
“ _Au revoir, ma chérie!”_ she said as the door clicked shut.  
  
_What was_ that _?!?_  
  
Lena sat down in her car again to collect herself. The Audi’s inline five roared into life and it rolled towards the exit.  
  
“Lena, you useless lesbian. You didn’t ask for her number,” she mumbled. “Again.”  
  
As if on cue, her phone buzzed. Lena fumbled it out of her pocket and read the message:  
  
_Da Massimo’s._  
_This Thursday, 7 PM._  
_Bring yourself in formal clothing._  
_À bientôt, A._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ### Explanations for the non-car people:
> 
> Kawasaki Ninja H2R - 300hp supersport bike by Kawasaki
> 
> Turbocharger - an exhaust gas powered turbine that forces more air into the engine, enabling it to burn more fuel and make more power
> 
> F20C - A 2 litre four cylinder engine by Honda, featuring double overhead camshafts and the VTEC system
> 
> VTEC - Technology that shifts the camshafts in the engine to a more aggressive profile at a certain rpm, causing the engine to make more power
> 
> ABS - Anti lock Braking System, automatically pulses the brakes to prevent the tires from locking up
> 
> boost - The overpressure a turbocharger or supercharger produces. The higher the pressure, the more air is available in the engine to burn fuel
> 
> splitter - An aerodynamic device at the front of the car, designed to maximize downforce and minimize drag. Lena's just happens to be made by Voltex.
> 
> twin-screw supercharger - A belt-powered system that counterrotates two big screws, generating boost
> 
> blow-off valve - lets out excess boost when the engine doesn't need it. Makes a characteristic whistling sound.


	2. The date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lena has a date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I decided to not keep this as a one shot. You'll find bits of the 2015 Need For Speed in here, but don't worry, the focus is still on Amélie and Lena.

_Bring yourself in formal clothing._  
  
That’s what the message said. Lena paced up and down in her apartment between piles of clothing in her underwear. She wasn’t used to fancy restaurants at all. It was _that_ Thursday and 7 PM drew closer and closer, and she still hadn’t decided on an outfit. Usually, this wasn't a problem, but being invited to a date at a posh Italian place, with a woman that was elegance personified, wasn't exactly  _usual_.  
  
_Keep calm, Oxton_ , she thought.  
  
After a few long minutes of foraging, she finally pieced together an outfit that she deemed formal enough. It consisted of a white blouse, a black tuxedo vest, plain black cloth pants and dress shoes. Lena didn’t even remember she had half of these. She held the blouse up to her shoulders, hoping the black lace bra she had on wouldn’t show through it. The lace was itchy on her skin, but she didn’t want to rock up in a sports bra, that was just bad taste. A quick look in the mirror later, she deemed it fancy enough. It didn’t even feel that much like a costume compared to some other experiences she’d had with formal clothing. Now she just had to get her hair sorted and put on a little makeup.  
  
When she came out of the bathroom, she blinked at the readout of her digital kitchenette clock. The numbers blinked back and made her scramble for her phone.  
  
“Aw, rubbish!” she yelled. At this rate, she wouldn’t be able to make it in time.  
  
Her phone told her the bus had just left the stop. Lena hated public transport, but she didn’t want to take the Honda. Who knew what Amélie had in store for her. Driving drunk was out of the question, and driving to someone’s place in two cars wasn’t Lena’s idea of how to end a date. In any case, driving to Da Massimo’s was probably a bad idea. She hated not being on schedule. With her trusty leather messenger bag over the shoulder, she locked her apartment behind her.

* * *

 

The rush hour traffic jams on the streets of Ventura Bay were just starting to thin out. The valleys between the high rise office buildings downtown were drenched in golden light and a cool breeze made the tips of Lena’s spiky hair twitch as she stepped off the bus. The restaurant was just around the corner. Trees lined the quiet side street and just as she walked past them, a few of the luxurious clothing stores closed their doors for the day. When the restaurant came in sight, there was only one car parked in front of it. It was an impossibly low, Liberty Walk kitted Audi RS7 finished in a dark metallic bronze color. Amélie was leaning on the wide bodied coupé’s passenger door. Lena was mortified.  
  
_How long has she been waiting?_  
  
Lena quickened her steps. When she finally arrived, she was rendered speechless. Amélie wore a backless black halter dress that clung tightly to her lithe form in some places and fell loosely in others. She showed a distracting amount of leg and her endless black ponytail was draped over her shoulder. Amélie straightened and brushed her hair back. She looked at Lena with an amused smirk.  
  
“ _Bonsoir, chérie_ ,” she said.  
  
“H-hi,” Lena stammered.  
  
_Not again!_  
  
“I’m sorry I’m late, missed my bus…” She scratched her head nervously, shuffling the previously sculpted spikes around. “I hope you didn’t have to wait long.”  
  
There was the knowing smile again. “I don’t mind waiting a bit if I get to see you all flustered.” Amélie chuckled. “Shall we have a date then?”  
  
Blood rushed to Lena’s cheeks, and before she could respond, Amélie took her hand and pulled her into the restaurant. She seemingly floated over the parquet floor in a pair of strappy sandals that were so high that Lena was certain she’d instantly twist her ankles if she tried to walk in them.  
  
Inside the restaurant, she was greeted with a very modern, industrial ambiance. There was indirect LED lighting everywhere. The room was dotted with exposed concrete pillars ending in frosted glass light fixtures that had outlines of roman columns etched into them. It smelled like Mediterranean herbs. If Amélie hadn't been here with her, Lena would’ve felt horribly out of place. They approached a small table in a part of the restaurant where not many other people were enjoying their dinner. Lena pulled out one of the chairs and guided Amélie to sit.  
  
Amélie gasped in feigned surprise. “How gallant!” she said with wide eyes and a hand in front of her mouth.  
  
“Least I could do,” Lena mumbled, sitting down herself. She wasn’t sure if she was made fun of.  
  
Amélie leaned forwards with her elbows on the table and hands folded. “Lena - I can call you Lena, right? - you’re very cute.” She had a disarming smile on her full lips. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. You don’t have to impress me, you already did that on the track.”  
  
Lena didn’t know how to respond to that. Her date didn’t seem to mind the awkward silence at all and just smiled, looking at her with those beautiful golden eyes, which made it even harder to find words.  
  
_God, that smile…_  
  
The waiter saved her, but he brought another predicament with him. What to order? Lena was used to fast food and simple dishes, fancy Italian cuisine wasn’t something that crossed her path often. The waiter was a middle-aged, slightly pudgy black haired man with a radiant attitude.  
  
“Ah, Signorina Lacroix,” he looked at Lena and nodded at her, “Signorina…?”  
  
“Oxton.”  
  
“- Signorina Oxton. Good evening! What can I bring you?” He looked at Lena, notepad in hand.  
  
“Um, I’d like a pizza funghi and a glass of water, please,” Lena said. She just ordered the first Italian dish that came into her mind that wasn’t spaghetti bolognese to not look like a complete idiot.  
  
_Calm down, Oxton._  
  
“Going with the classics, I see,” Amélie said nonchalantly and  _bloody winked at her._ “I’ll have bigoli con l’arna and an apple spritzer, please.”  
  
The waiter disappeared in the direction of the kitchen with a small bow and a short “Va bene.”  
  
Lena swept up all the courage she could muster. She didn’t want to make Amélie regret letting her win that race, after all.  
  
“Apple juice? I had you pegged for a wine woman, luv,” she said, immediately fearing she’d gone overboard.  
  
Amélie  _giggled._ It was melodious and pearly. Lena wanted to make her do that again, it was beautiful.  
  
“ _Non_ , _chérie_. I have to drive. Besides, I want to enjoy this sober,” she said, looking directly into Lena’s eyes.  
  
_She really does enjoy this,_ Lena thought.  
  
Slowly, her fear of being made fun of faded. She couldn’t quite believe it, but it seemed like Amélie’s aggressive flirting was sincere.  
  
“I like your car. And your dress. You look bloody gorgeous,” she blurted out.  
  
“ _Merci_ , I’m glad you like it. I feared it might be a bit much.” Amélie leaned back in her chair. “So, tell me about yourself. I know you’re adorable, you can drive and you look great in a blouse, but not much else.”  
  
She had elevated nonchalance to an art form. Lena’s cheeks were flushed red, but at this point, she didn’t care anymore. Playing it cool wasn’t working with Amélie.  
  
“Well, I grew up in London. Always had a thing for cars and going fast, got me in trouble a few times.” She looked up and found Amélie listening intently. “Anyways, I decided to make a career out of it. I earn my money doing odd test driving jobs for tire and suspension manufacturers.”  
  
“That explains why your Honda was so planted on track. It’s a nice little car, it fits you.” Amélie nodded at the waiter, who brought their drinks. “What shop set it up, if you don’t mind me asking?”  
  
A beaming grin appeared on Lena’s face. “Apart from the body work and mapping, I did that by myself in my garage.”  
  
Amélie’s brows shot up and she set her apple spritzer down. “Really? I must have a closer look then. I like you more and more by the minute.”  
  
“It’s been evolving. I bought it completely stock. Next on the list are a set of bigger brakes, I’ve got to be able to stop quicker,” Lena explained.  
  
Amélie nodded. “Mhm, your driving shows you know your car. You have a lot of potential.”  
  
That came from a woman who could steer a car like it was the lead role of Swan Lake, and the track was the stage of an opera. Lena’s chest swelled from the compliment.  
  
“Aw, thanks a lot! But you’re amazing behind the wheel yourself. You could’ve easily won that race. I saw you catch up to me after you blocked Reaper, that was something else. I’m not even close to that level,” Lena said. “What do you do for a living, anyways?”  
  
Amélie scooted her chair closer to the table and straightened her back. Her sharp eyes looked past Lena’s shoulders. “I was getting to that, but our food is about to arrive.”  
  
The waiter came to their table with two plates balanced on one arm. He placed the one with the pizza in front of Lena. “Pizza funghi for Signorina Oxton, with champignons and basil fresh from the market today.” He set the other dish down in front of Amélie. “Bigoli con l’arna for Signorina Lacroix, with handmade pasta and a bit more pepper, just as you like it. Buon appetito!”  
  
And with that, he was gone again.  
  
Lena’s pizza smelled amazing, but she’d never heard of bigoli before. “Your bigoli look like big ol’ spaghetti to me,” she said. That was true, they did look like slightly thicker spaghetti with a dark brown sauce.  
  
Amélie laughed heartily and almost dropped her napkin on her plate. This was the highlight of the evening for Lena so far. She didn’t even care if the date turned sour now, she got to experience this.  
  
_Wow, she’s cute._  
  
_And she laughed at my stupid joke._  
  
_What have I done to deserve this?_  
  
“You’re right,” Amélie said, stifling a snicker, “they are bigger spaghetti with a hole in the middle.”  
  
“Whoa. How do they get the holes in there? And what’s the sauce?” Lena wondered.  
  
“I don’t know, I’d have to look that up, but ‘con l’arna’ means ‘with duck,’” Amélie said.  
  
Suddenly, her expression turned downright predatory. She twisted a few noodles around her fork and held it out towards Lena.  
  
_Blimey, is she trying to kill me with teasing?_  
  
After checking if her courage was still alive and kicking, Lena leaned over the table towards the fork. She couldn’t back out of this. She concentrated on the fork, careful not to spill anything. Just as she almost reached it with her mouth, Amélie pulled it back. Lena flicked her eyes up, only to find a mesmerizingly sly grin and a pair of golden eyes that seemed to stare directly into her soul only centimeters from her own face.  
  
“ _Bon appétit!”_ Amélie purred, before carefully placing the fork in Lena’s still half open mouth.  
  
Lena was extremely grateful that her subconscious remembered to close her mouth. While she was so stunned that it took a few seconds before she could even start chewing, Amélie just had that knowing smile on her face again.  
  
_I walked right into that one_ , Lena thought. _And I’d do it all over._  
  
The pasta in her mouth had a rich, savory and slightly nutty taste. When she finished chewing, she wanted to comment on what just happened, but words failed her.  
  
“Do you like it?” Amélie asked, rolling up another forkful of noodles.  
  
Lena nodded and swallowed.  
  
Amélie took a bite of her own before she continued. “You asked what I did for a living, _non?_ I own and run ALM Performance in Franklin Terrace.” She smiled at Lena’s perplexed expression. “Do you follow European rallying?”  
  
“I don’t really, but I have a lot of respect for it. Takes a lot of skill,” Lena said, putting another piece of pizza in her mouth when it dawned on her. She finished chewing before she talked. “You… You were a rally driver, weren’t you? That explains things.”  
  
“Mhm.” Amélie took a sip from her apple spritzer.  
  
“Why’d you quit?” Lena asked. With that skill, she could probably win more races.  
  
"That's a story for another time. Right now, I have a question for you. Would you like to drive for me?" Amélie laid her cutlery down and looked right at her.  
  
"I'm always up for getting paid to drive. So yeah, I'd like that. Why?"  
  
"Maybe you've noticed, but there have been a lot of street racers around lately.” Amélie flipped her ponytail back over her shoulder as it had come dangerously close to the duck sauce on her plate. “That alone wouldn't be so bad, but they're destroying property and a friend in the FBI said it's on their radar." She had a worried look on her face, hiding the usual playful smirk.  
  
"Yeah, I've seen them around. One of them is called Travis and another calls himself Spike. Drives an M2, I think," Lena recalled.  
  
"Yes, they're the ones. Back to the point," Amélie rolled up more noodles, "it'd be bad for business if the FBI showed up in Ventura Bay with Sergeant Cross and started controlling everything that looks remotely fast. Do you see my problem?"  
  
"Yeah... That'd be bad for car clubs like mine, too. So what are we going to do about it?"  
  
"I thought maybe we could organize another race on the airfield against them and tell them to get out of the city or at least stop if they lose." That smile came back. "Against you."  
  
Lena’s eyes widened. She’d imagined testing road tunes or suspension setups for Amélie. "Against me? But you're a much better driver than I am, why don't you-"  
  
"Because the news would be all over it. There would be headlines." The smile made room for a slightly pained expression. "I want to avoid that, Lena."  
  
"That's fair. Alright, I'm on board. I don't know if my Honda's fast enough, though," Lena said.  
  
Amélie laughed again. Lena took a mental picture.  
  
"Don't worry, _chérie_ , we will find a solution. And it's already very fast." Amélie pushed her chair back and got up. "Excuse me for a second."  
  
Lena nodded and watched her turn around the corner. She got her phone out, she just had to look something up. What she found made her gasp.  
  
_Two times ERC champion, 'the next Michèle Mouton'... I knew she was good, but this is bloody amazing._  
  
It made her appreciate this evening even more. Not just because she was on a date with a breathtakingly beautiful woman, but this was someone she looked up to. She put her phone away just in time for Amélie's return. As her date sat down, a leg brushed hers just a tad too long to be coincidental.  
  
"I'm glad you want to help. But enough about  _business_ ," she waved as if to shoo the topic away, "back to us. What does Lena Oxton do in her free time, aside from wrenching and racing?"  
  
"Oh, um, well, I go to car shows, I do a bit of track and field - gotta stay fit, you know - and when I’m at home I like to watch series or movies.” Lena counted the list down on her fingers.  
  
Amélie slightly tilted her head and smiled. “I can see you work out, _chérie_. It’s been a while since I saw a movie in the theater. What kind of movie do you like?”  
  
And Lena told her. Amélie also answered questions about herself, albeit avoiding the topic of rally. It turned out they shared a lot of interests aside from racing. They were definitely going to see the new Star Wars movie together.

* * *

 

They talked while the people walking by outside turned from people going home from work into people going out to drink. And although the food was delicious, they barely managed to finish their plates before the Italian delicacies on them got cold. They shared stories from the racetrack, made plans and laughed at each other’s jokes. Lena’s initial nervosity was nowhere to be found, but she was completely at Amélie’s mercy. She couldn’t quite shake that nagging feeling of inadequacy, but she loved every second of Amélie’s teasing and every smile of hers. Night fell outside, the lights dimmed inside and more and more people left.  
  
Amélie waved for the waiter to come over. It was time to pay and leave.  
  
Lena fished for her wallet, but Amélie shook her head. “I’ll pay.” Lena wanted to protest, but a slender index finger on her lips silenced her. “I invited you, you’re my guest, Lena.”  
  
The waiter brought the check and assured himself that the food was satisfactory before he left with their empty glasses. Lena didn’t comment on it, but she was pretty sure Amélie left a hefty tip.  
  
As they got up, Amélie was suddenly right next to Lena and raised an eyebrow. “Do you want to be gallant again?” she asked.  
  
Thankfully Lena’s brain made the connection. She linked arms with Amélie and walked towards the exit. They made for a strange but elegant pair, Amélie being taller than her by almost a head with these heels. The smell of lavender and caramel was back.  
  
_I don’t want this to end,_ Lena thought _._  
  
Her mind failed to piece together a way to say goodbye. Amélie pulled her tight and she felt a bit of soft, smooth skin brush her arm. When they reached the Audi, they separated.  
  
“Can I take a picture?” Lena asked, pulling her phone out. “It looks even better in the dark.”  
  
“ _Bien sûr_ ,” Amélie said, sauntering around the back of the car.  
  
When she put her phone away again, Lena still didn’t know how to thank Amélie for this evening. She looked up and found her standing in the open driver’s door.  
  
“Are you coming?” Amélie asked with that knowing smile on her face.  
  
_Is she going to drive me home? This can’t be_ that _..._  
  
Lena nodded and sat down in the passenger seat. The RS7’s interior featured vast amounts of carbon fiber and white, quilted leather. It smelled like Amélie. She fastened her seatbelt.  
  
“Um, I live in Royal Park,” she began to explain directions to her apartment. Amélie looked at her with that predatory glance again. Lena gestured at the road. “If you take the highway--”  
  
The words died in her throat. In one swift motion, Amélie slipped one hand down Lena’s neck, cupping it gently, and tilted her chin up with the other. Those golden eyes locked onto hers and a devilish smirk appeared on Amélie’s beautiful lips, before she softly pressed them onto Lena’s.  
  
Her heart felt like it was going to explode.  
  
Lena’s eyes widened in surprise and she let out a muffled “Mmm!” before she relaxed into the kiss. Amélie’s lips were soft and warm against hers. They tasted sweet, like raspberry with faint notes of apple mixed in. Amélie let go of her chin and rested her forehead against Lena’s.  
  
“Do you still want to go home, _ma chére_?” she breathed.  
  
Lena pulled her back in for another, hungrier kiss in response. She opened her mouth slightly and her tongue brushed Amélie’s, again and again.  
  
“We… we should probably continue this somewhere else,” Lena mewled as they separated for a second.  
  
“You’re right, _ma chatounette_ ,” Amélie said.  
  
The hand on Lena’s neck trailed over her shoulder, down her flank and finally along her outer thigh before an extended finger pressed the power button next to Lena’s leg. The Audi’s V8 rumbled into life and a pair of ViAir compressors in the trunk lifted the air suspension to a reasonable ride height.  
  
_I’m going mad_ , Lena thought.  
  
Her body felt like it was on fire. She slumped into the white leather seat and watched Amélie steer the car into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ### Translations:
> 
> Bonsoir - good evening  
> Bien sûr - of course  
> ma chatounette - my kitten
> 
> ### Explanations:
> 
> The Audi RS7 with the Liberty Walk widebody kit sits on air suspension. That means there's a tank in the back with compressed air and instead of springs, there are airbags on the suspension struts. The compressors are needed to keep the pressure up so the car can drive normally.
> 
> Michèle Mouton is a famous French rally driver who set several records throughout her career. Among the most important was a world record time in the Pike's Peak hillclimb race, where she piloted an Audi Sport Quattro S1. [Her in action](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb4DILvSG9o)
> 
> ### Notes:
> 
> Again, I had a lot of fun writing this. That kiss scene was the first I've ever written, I'd really like some feedback on that. I hope you enjoyed it! I don't know when this will update next, this is a side project.


	3. The night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lena does not go home that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **ATTENTION: If you do not like reading smut you can skip this chapter entirely.**

No amount of air conditioning would help with what Lena was going through on the drive to Amélie's house. Her tuxedo vest and blouse did an excellent job of trapping her body heat directly on her skin. From outside of the car, nobody would suspect anything of her struggle. The commanding presence of the wide RS7 on its filigree forged alloy wheels was too distracting for the few passersby that were still on the road. It didn't have to scream for attention with a ludicrously loud exhaust or a garishly bright paint job, no, it quietly demanded respect. Amélie hadn't pushed the car at all yet, she was a very calm and precise driver. The silence in the car was only broken by a pronounced whoosh when she let off the gas and the subtle whisper of the turbochargers nestled between the V8's cylinder banks. Lena had test-driven a RS7 before, and that one hadn't made noises like that. Amélie's probably put out quite a bit more power than the already monstrous 600hp it left the factory with.  
  
Still slumped down in her seat, Lena watched a slender hand fiddle with the stereo. Some quiet lounge music began to play. The slender hand now placed itself on top of Lena's on the center console.  
  
"Speechless? That doesn't seem like you at all, _chérie_ ," Amélie said.  
  
Lena glanced up at her in the driver's seat. The shine of the street lamps flashing across Amélie's face slowed down as she gently brought the car to a stop at an intersection. Golden eyes traced along Lena's body, which made her straighten up.  
  
"You're a brilliant kisser, luv," she said, surprisingly without stuttering.  
  
Amélie leant in for another kiss, as if to refresh her memory of the last one. It was slow and sensual and left Lena yearning for more when Amélie pulled back.  
  
"You're not bad yourself." She licked her lips.  
  
_She licked her bloody lips.  
  
_ Before Lena could sort her thoughts, Amélie gently pressed on the accelerator pedal and the Audi picked up speed at an alarming rate. The subtle growl made way for a primal scream, peppered with backfire on the gear shifts. Lena's back was pinned against the seat. It only lasted a few seconds before Amélie let off the gas again. She squeezed Lena's hand and they smiled at each other.  
  
"Just out of curiosity, how much power does this thing make?" Lena asked.  
  
Amélie chuckled. "I don't even know, but the last time we had it on the dyno it made around 760 at the wheels." She raised an eyebrow. "But we've changed the map since."  
  
Lena's eyes widened. "That's, er, a lot. Blimey."  
  
"This engine has a lot of potential."  
  
The highway flew past as they circled around the bay towards the hills of Westdale Valley. The moonlight reflecting off the sea would have looked beautiful if Lena had any eyes for that. She watched Amélie steer the car halfway up a mountain pass before she stopped in front of an unassuming but sturdy looking metal gate. They exchanged a glance and Amélie pressed a button under the sun visor. The gate slowly slid aside without making a noise.  
  
"I reckon it was a good idea we didn't go to my place," Lena mumbled.  
  
"Oh, I would not have minded with you there, _chérie_ , but I think we have more space here." The driveway lights flickered on and Amélie looked at her with that smile again.  
  
Amélie's house was huge and looked like the architectural equivalent of a MacBook. Perched on the hillside, the whole building was sided in slate, two rectangular blocks stacked on top and slightly twisted against each other. There was a large picture window at the end of each block. Amélie stopped the car at the end of the driveway, which ended at an unusually tall double garage.  
  
" _Nous y voici_ ," she said.  
  
When they got out of the car and Amélie led her to the house in her backless dress, Lena suddenly became very aware of why she was here. The lacy underwear she was wearing that she'd totally forgotten about started to itch again, almost as if it wanted to be taken off. Her eyes were glued to muscles flexing on Amélie's back, fascinated by the way she floated along the path to the front door.  
  
Finally inside, Amélie took her heels off and neatly put them next to a shoe rack the size of Lena's dresser.  
  
"You can put your shoes here, Lena," she said.  
  
The lack of preposterously high stilettos on her feet didn't do anything to make her walk less elegant. While Amélie sorted her belongings and switched lights on around the house, Lena pulled her boots off. When she set them next to Amélie's heels, she blinked at her own feet.  
  
Mismatched socks. Dark blue and black.  
  
A soft laugh made her look up again. Amélie leant on the wall next to the shoe rack and was watching her every move. Lena's face heated up, and she was sure it was bright red by now.  
  
All this effort and she picked out two different socks.  
  
"You are _adorable_." Amélie approached Lena, their eyes locked. "You don't have to be someone else around me." She tenderly caressed her cheeks and let her hands run down to Lena's waist.  
  
She was so close now, and even without her heels, she was considerably taller. Lena put her hands on Amélie's shoulders, when something warm and fuzzy brushed against her leg.  
  
"I hope you're not allergic to cats." Amélie took a step back, picked up a cat with snow white fur and Lena was met with brilliant blue eyes. "This is Monsieur Mousse."  
  
He let out a quiet meow and squirmed to get out of her arms before he disappeared into the kitchen.  
  
"Aw, such a precious kitty! I love cats," Lena said, stepping closer to Amélie again. "I would've come over just to pet him, but the kissing helped. Speaking of kissing..."  
  
She had to stand on tiptoes to kiss Amélie. Their lips crashed together with fervent desire as they pressed their bodies against each other. Amélie's hands reached further and further down until they firmly grabbed Lena's butt cheeks. Lena gasped and looked up into Amélie's smug face before going in for seconds. She'd never done this on a first date before, not with a stranger, but it felt so right.  
  
Amélie moved her hands to Lena's forearms and pulled away from the kiss. "I'm sorry, but I have to be terribly boring, _chérie_... Is there anything I need to worry about?"  
  
"No, luv, the doc says I'm clean. I s'pose I don't have to worry either?"  
  
" _Non_. Now, do you want to take this upstairs?" The anticipation was audible in her voice.  
  
"I'd love to!" Lena surprised herself with how quickly she answered.  
  
Amélie took her by the hand and led her up the stairs. Upstairs, there was a small hallway that ended in a glass door to the deck, as well as two other doors. Amélie opened the one that led to her bedroom and gestured for Lena to enter.  
  
The view from the giant picture window at the end of the room was breathtaking. Ventura Bay's lights glimmered in the distance across the sea. The room was bright and spacious, with a big queen size bed in the middle. One corner was sectioned off as a walk-in closet, and a bookshelf and an impeccably tidy desk lined one of the walls. Lena's entire apartment could probably fit in here comfortably.  
  
Amélie fiddled with a switch next to the door and the lights dimmed. She walked up to Lena from behind and gently pushed her shoulders, steering her to stand in front of a wall mirror. All of a sudden, she pulled her close, hands gripping her waist.  
  
" _Alors_ , let me see what you are hiding under that - how do you say? - dashing little outfit of yours," Amélie purred right into Lena's ear.  
  
Teeth grazed her neck, and as if that wasn't enough to make her head spin, Amélie's breasts pressed into her back. Their fingers met at the buttons holding Lena's vest shut.  
  
“May I?”  
  
_Oh shit, she's good at this.  
  
_ Lena nodded.  
  
Amélie slowly undid all three buttons with skilled fingers, one after the other, never breaking eye contact in the mirror. Lena ached to get out of these clothes that stopped her from just rubbing their bodies together, but Amélie had all the time in the world. She briefly stepped back, allowing Lena to pull her arms out of the garment, before tossing it aside and closing the gap again.  
  
"You're such a bloody tease, luv," Lena muttered under her breath.  
  
Amélie just nibbled at her earlobe in response and began undoing the buttons on her blouse. It took every fiber in Lena's body not to just take it off as quickly as possible, but she didn't want to interrupt whatever Amélie had in mind. When the last button came undone, Amélie's brows shot up.  
  
" _Oh la la, chérie_ ," she breathed, " _quelle belle surprise._ "  
  
She planted a kiss on Lena's cheek as she allowed her to get rid of the blouse. Lena had hoped that that'd help with the heat, but it didn't. Now the soft fabric of Amélie's dress directly touched her back. Her golden eyes wandered over Lena's lace adorned chest in the mirror. Her hands followed, leaving a trail of fire from her collar bones over her breasts. She slipped her fingers over the edge of Lena's bra and traced along the cups, brushing over hardening nipples.  
  
A high pitched moan escaped Lena's lips and she flinched at the sensation, which only made Amélie grin wider in the mirror.  
  
"Is someone excited?" she asked in an almost mocking tone.  
  
Her fingers moved further down Lena's stomach, barely touching her skin.  
  
"Oh _fuck yes_ I am," Lena whispered.  
  
Amélie's hands reached the waistband of Lena's pants and her lips found her neck again.  
  
"I am too," she said. "I wonder, are there more such... treats under those pants?" The way she rolled that word off her tongue sent shivers down Lena's spine.  
  
Lena moved Amélie's hands onto the fly of her pants. "Go ahead and find out."  
  
Amélie didn't waste time. She made quick work of the top button, but savored opening the zipper. The warm and soft pressure vanished from Lena's back when Amélie squatted down behind her and slid the pants off her hips. Amélie let out a deep chuckle when the second half of the lingerie was fully revealed and glanced up into the mirror between Lena's legs. The look she gave didn't leave any doubts about what she thought of Lena's taste in provocative underwear.  
  
When the pants had finally reached the floor, Lena stepped out of them almost automatically. As she lifted her feet, Amélie grabbed her ankles and pulled the socks off.  
  
Dark blue first, then black.  
  
Amélie shoved her body against Lena's back again when she stood.  
  
" _Très jolie_ ," she purred. "You look absolutely perfect."  
  
Another kiss on the neck, this time on the other side. Their fingers intertwined as she caressed Lena's midriff.  
  
_You worry too much, Oxton.  
  
_ Lena turned around and playfully nipped at Amélie's exposed collar bone. "Your turn, madame."  
  
Her hands slid under the silky fabric covering Amélie's chest and moved upwards across smooth skin, cupping pert breasts. She found stiff nipples and rolled them between her fingers, eliciting a low, raspy moan from Amélie's throat. Lena pushed her backwards towards the bed, moving her hands up towards the clasp on the back of Amélie's neck that held the dress up. It didn't leave much to the imagination in the first place, but Lena didn't want to imagine anything about Amélie's wonderful body anymore when it was right under her fingertips.  
  
Amélie took a step back and pulled the hair tie out of her ponytail. Cascades of black hair fell over her bare shoulders.  
There was hunger in her eyes as she undid the clasp and shimmied out of the dress, almost rolling her expensive looking panties down in the process. She didn't seem to mind much, in fact she looked like she basked in the looks Lena gave her.  
  
Lena's eyes stopped wandering over naked skin and snapped up to Amélie's again.  
  
"Fuckin' gorgeous, you are," she said.  
  
Lena's lips peppered Amélie's neck with kisses and pushed against her body, letting her hands trail up and down the sides of her body. Lena still couldn't believe this was happening, but the hitch in Amélie's steady breathing whenever Lena kissed her confirmed this was very much real. They bumped into the bed and Amélie pulled Lena on top of her as she laid down.  
  
"I’m so lucky." Lena tugged on the intricate straps of her lover's panties.  
  
"Aren't we both?"  
  
They kissed again, giving in to their passion without hesitation. Swift fingers opened Lena's bra and slid it off her shoulders. When they squeezed her tits softly, Lena moaned into the kiss and snaked her arms out of the straps.  
  
"Want me to go all the way?" she asked full of hope, searching golden eyes for an answer.  
  
She didn't have to search long. "I'm yours tonight, _chérie_."  
  
"Just tell me what feels good then," Lena murmured, a mischievous grin appearing on her face.  
  
She moved lower, focusing her attention on Amélie's breasts, drawing circles around her nipples with her tongue before she put one in her mouth, sucking and nibbling on it. Amélie's breathing became faster and less regular. She brushed through Lena's spiky hair and her low voice made her chest rumble with sounds of pleasure. Lena kept her pace, feeling for every little tremble in Amélie's body.  
  
"Ah, Lena - _fantastique!_ " Amélie's voice was shaky and the sensual confidence it was normally teeming with gone, but that only spurred Lena on further.  
  
She looked up into Amélie's flushed face and gave her nipple one last light tug with her teeth before she followed the dimples along her abs with her hands.  
  
She stopped above her hips. "Can I take those off?" she asked.  
  
Amélie scooted backwards and raised her legs up straight. "Oh, I want you to," she said.  
  
Careful not to tangle or damage the strappy panties, Lena pulled them out from underneath Amélie's butt and up those long, toned stems. The lingerie stuck to her crotch slightly. It revealed hairless lips, shimmering with wetness.  
  
"You're so wet, luv," Lena groaned, appreciating the sight in front of her.  
  
When she moved back towards Amélie, her lover stopped her with a foot on her chest.  
  
"Yours too." Amélie propped herself up on her elbows and raised an eyebrow.  
  
Lena jumped up and almost fell over, which made Amélie chuckle. "Careful, do it slowly."  
  
"Got it." Lena laughed nervously. "I wanted to take these off all day."  
  
"I bet you did." Those golden eyes were fixated on her, watching Lena's every move.  
  
_She grabbed my butt earlier. My turn to show off,_ Lena thought.  
  
She turned around and bent over, making a point of arching her back to give Amélie a good view. Her knickers rolled down her legs, leaving a damp trail on her thighs.  
  
"Oh wow. These are so bloody _soaked_ ," she said.  
  
"You must _really_ like me."  
  
Lena climbed back on the bed and crawled towards Amélie. "Want me to show you just how much?" She ran her fingers along the supple skin on the rear of Amélie's thighs.  
  
" _Oui._ " Amélie splayed her legs, revealing a neatly trimmed triangle of black hair. " _Viens ici!_ "  
  
Lena lowered herself on her stomach with a wide grin on her face. Those French lessons she'd taken years ago were worth something after all.  
  
" _Avec plaisir_ ," she said, and started kissing her way up Amélie's inner thighs.  
  
Her lover relaxed into the mattress and inhaled sharply when Lena's lips touched her skin, closer and closer to her mound. Lena shifted to get a better angle and looked up, only to find Amélie's eyes, full of need and anticipation.  
  
She let her tongue run along the length of her lover's slit, carefully watching her reaction. Amélie tasted salty and a musky kind of sweet. Lena repeated the motion, faster, licking deeper between the folds.  
  
" _C'est bon_... Lena..." Amélie's hips rolled forwards and she ran her fingers through Lena's hair.  
  
A pleasant shiver ran down Lena's spine. Just as her tongue found Amélie's clit, her lover lifted one leg over Lena's shoulder and pressed her heel into her back, spurring her on further. Lena circled the hard nub with the tip of her tongue and alternated that motion with a few quick laps. Amélie's breathing became more and more ragged and the muscles in her thighs flexed.  
  
"Lena... _N'arrête pas!_ " She moaned.  
  
Lena had no intention of stopping. She kept at it, breathing through her nose. Her tongue and jaw began feeling sore, but she was determined. Suddenly, nails dragged against her scalp as Amélie's whole body tensed up, arching upwards. Lena kept her mouth exactly where it was. When Amélie fell back into the mattress, she let out a high pitched wail that turned into an elated chuckle.  
  
That was another thing on the list of things Lena wanted to make her do again.  
  
Lena crawled on top of her lover, who pulled her up to straddle her hips. Amélie's face was flushed and adorned with a blissful smile. She brushed a strand of hair out of Lena's face.  
  
"You're amazing, _ma chère_ ," she husked.  
  
Lena kissed her deeply in response. She let her tongue swirl around Amélie's, letting out a happy sigh as Amélie's hands ran up and down her thighs, finally finding purchase on her butt. When they needed to separate for air, Amélie lightly bit Lena's lower lip and snaked a hand between their bodies. Lena squeaked in surprise as her lover's fingers teased around her sensitive folds.  
  
That got another chuckle out of Amélie "Your turn," she cooed, before she kissed her again.  
  
"Oh... _fuck_ ," Lena mewled as Amélie's fingers finally entered her. If this was madness, Lena didn't want to be sane.  
  
Amélie slowly picked up speed after she'd found the perfect angle. It must've been Lena's needy whine that gave it away. Lena pushed herself into Amélie's hand and started kissing her neck. Her lover's deft fingers made her stop after a while, she had to remember to breathe. There were no rushed moves and no hesitation. Amélie's hand shifted and her thumb brushed very lightly over Lena's clit. She squeaked again.  
  
"Cor blimey, you're good at that," she breathed.  
  
"Do you want to see what I can do with my mouth?" Amélie asked.  
  
" _Fuck_ … yes," Lena said, her voice shaky.  
  
Amélie pulled her fingers out and shuffled farther back on the bed, getting her hair out of the way of Lena's legs. She put her hands on Lena's butt again and guided her to sit on her face. Lena supported herself on the headboard with one hand. The sight of Amélie closing her eyes as she probed her tongue between Lena's folds wasn't something she'd forget anytime soon. Neither was the precision with which Amélie proceeded to hit just the right spots. Amélie opened her eyes every once in a while to watch for Lena's reaction as she adjusted her technique, earning a gasp every time.  
  
It wasn't long before Lena started shuddering as Amélie ate her out.  
  
"Bloody hell, don't stop," Lena whimpered when Amélie switched between sucking on her clit and undulating licks.  
  
Amélie didn't stop and Lena's body shook with pleasure. Lena let out a wordless cry and rolled over next to Amélie.  
  
"That was brilliant," Lena said when she had finally caught her breath. "You're brilliant."  
  
"Mmh." Amélie planted a kiss on Lena's forehead and snuggled up to her side, basking in the afterglow.  
  
They lay next to each other in silence for a while. Whoever had dared Amélie to go on a date with her, Lena would have to thank them personally. Amélie's golden eyes were full of warmth now. She seemed truly relaxed, without a trace of her aloof facade.  
  
"Don't leave, _ma chère_ ," she said quietly.  
  
"I won't." Lena's brows furrowed. "But we can't sleep like this, can we?" Lena gestured at the crumpled comforter underneath them.  
  
"Ah." Amélie smiled. "Shower?"  
  
"Shower."  
  
Monsieur Mousse lay sprawled across the top of the stairs in an uncomfortable position, sleeping. He lazily raised his head as they walked past him to the bathroom and once again when they went back to the bedroom. Lena picked up her panties gingerly and raised her eyebrows at them.  
  
"No _way_ I can wear these again tomorrow," she said, "and I totally forgot to bring a spare."  
  
Amélie shrugged. "We can see if some of mine fit. Or I can just give you a bikini with knots in the waistband."  
  
"Let's worry about that tomorrow," Lena giggled and joined Amélie collecting their clothes from the floor.  
  
Finally, they laid down together. Amélie cuddled up to Lena from behind, her arms around her waist. Lena looked out of the large window lost in thought. If someone told her a week ago that she'd end up here, she wouldn't have believed it.  
  
"You know, luv," she murmured, "I never thought you'd be into someone like me."  
  
Amélie pulled her tighter. "But I am. And I'm glad I am."  
  
"Makes two of us." Lena gently stroked Amélie's arms.  
  
"Mmh. _Bonne nuit,_ _ma chère._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ### Translations
> 
> Nous y voici - here we are  
> quelle belle surprise - what a nice surprise  
> Très jolie - very pretty  
> Viens ici! - come here  
> Avec plaisir - With pleasure  
> N'arrête pas - Don't stop  
> Bonne nuit, ma chère - Good night, my dear
> 
> ### Notes
> 
> So, yeah. This is my first attempt at smut. Feedback is much appreciated.
> 
> Thanks to [twoheartedalien](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/twoheartedalien) for beta reading!


	4. The morning after

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lena meets an old friend.

Lena's awakening was warm, wet, and purring right into her face. It took her a moment to come to grips with the situation, quite literally as she lifted Monsieur Mousse off her chest, who had begun licking her face with his rough tongue. After she remembered where she was— oh right, _that_ happened — she glanced at the other side of the bed, which was empty. Lena sat up and ran a hand through her hair. Luckily she didn't have any plans until later that day. Taking a quick look through the room, she spotted something on her pile of clothes that hadn't been there last night. She swung her legs out of the bed and got up to take a look at it.  
  
Amélie hadn't been joking when she said she'd give her a side-tie bikini. It had a pretty blue color and the cut was daring but tasteful. Lena slipped it on along with her blouse. Monsieur Mousse let out a soft meow and strolled off down the hallway. Lena decided to follow him, wondering where her host had gone.  
  
The tiled floor was pleasantly warm under her feet, and when she reached the stairs, Amélie's voice humming a melody and the smell of coffee reached her. Lena made her way downstairs. She couldn't help but feel awkward, running around barely clothed in the house of someone she'd just met the day before.  
  
"Morning, luv," she said as she gingerly stepped into the kitchen.  
  
Amélie's ponytail swished around and her cheeks turned red when she saw Lena. She wore sportswear and had likely just come back from a run.  
  
_She's bloody adorable._  
  
"Morning," Amélie said, brushing her hair back over her shoulder. "I... don't know if you had any plans for today, but I made breakfast." She opened a cupboard and got out a mug. "We didn't really get to yesterday, but I was hoping you wouldn't leave early so we could discuss some things."  
  
A smile tugged at Lena's lips and she went to the counter beside Amélie. "Breakfast sounds brilliant." She looked up at Amélie, waited until she set the coffee pot back down, and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "And we can talk, I'm free today." She paused as Amélie shoved a mug of coffee and some milk and sugar over. "Well, 'cept for our crew getting together around four in the afternoon. Hey, you can come along if you want!"  
  
Lena dropped two cubes of sugar into the mug and turned around, leaning against the counter. She studied Amélie's face, finding a tight-lipped smile. Amélie's eyes closed for a moment and she seemed to sort her thoughts before she turned back to Lena, her features relaxing. Lena wondered what went on behind those golden eyes.  
  
"I'd be honored to," Amélie said. "I have to check in at the shop today and make a few calls, but would you like to accompany me? We could drive to your meetup from there."  
  
The prospect of meeting her potential new coworkers in a prestigious shop was too good to pass up. "Sure! I kinda want to stop by my place though and get some fresh clothes if you don't mind," Lena said and took a sip from her coffee. "When do you have to be at the shop?"  
  
"In about an hour."  
  
"So, um, how about we have breakfast, I call a cab home and then I'll come visit at two thirty? That way you get to show me around and I get to pick you up," Lena grinned. After Amélie praised her Honda so much the day before, Lena wanted to show her all the little mods she’d made to it.  
  
"Mhm. I would offer to drive you home but there is little time for that," Amélie said.  
  
She opened the fridge and got a selection of cheese and sausages out and gestured for Lena to sit down at the table. Soon, Lena held a thick slice of baguette with cheese in her hands, chewing happily. Amélie gave her some affectionate glances every once in a while. She looked like she was going to start talking after an awkward pause, but she didn't.  
  
Lena took things into her own hands. "I don't know about you, but I don't want yesterday to be our last date," she said, earning a look that carried a mixture of relief and surprise. "I like you a lot. Might be a bit quick, but... yeah."  
  
Amélie raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Do you now?" she husked, making Lena blush in an instant. "Me too, if I'm honest. I... I haven't been on a date in a long time. I want to keep this up too."  
  
That came as a surprise. Someone like her surely had no problem finding a date.  
  
"Do you now?" Lena giggled. "Well, let's call us 'dating' then, yeah?"  
  
"Dating." Amélie started collecting their plates and cups in a neat stack, a smile appearing on her lips. "I like that."  
  
Lena wanted to do back flips in her chair. The idea that Amélie might actually feel the same about Lena as Lena felt about her hadn't sunk in until now. Amélie held herself with such confidence and elegance, but underneath there was a loneliness that Lena imagined very few people got to see.  
  
"You should call your cab now," Amélie said. "I have to get going soon, so I'll take a quick shower."

* * *

  
While Amélie had her shower, Lena got dressed. She rolled up her sleeves and gathered her things, pulled her boots on over the mismatched socks. With a practiced movement, she set her hair right. The cab would be there soon, so she waited at the entrance, looking down the driveway. Over the years as a test driver, Lena had grown accustomed to fancy hotels, but dating someone with a house like this was still foreign. She wasn't complaining, though.  
  
Just as Amélie came back down the stairs, the cab pulled up outside the gate. Lena looked for the right phrase to say goodbye, even as Amélie opened the door next to her and ushered her out, locking it behind her. She wanted to say something, but Amélie turned around with that knowing smile on her face and gently pressed her against the wall.  
  
"Do you want to let me go to work without a goodbye kiss, _chérie?_ " Amélie purred.  
  
Lena managed to whisper a quick "Christ no" before their lips crashed together. The kiss was over too fast for Lena's liking, but as Amélie brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, she remembered she had a cab to catch. Amélie backed away and pressed a button on a small remote. The garage door slowly rolled up.  
  
"I'll stop by later then, luv!" Lena jogged down the driveway half backwards, just enough to see give her a little wave.

* * *

 

Once the cab was rolling, Lena remembered she'd promised Hana to tell her how the date went. She dug out her phone, failing to get the lock screen code right twice. The battery was on its last leg and Hana had been worried as the amount of unread messages suggested.  
  
**Hana:** Ok, now I'm worried. It either went really well or it sucked ass  
  
          Come on Lena, I'm dying for details here :(  
  
Hana's last message was sent a little after midnight. Her caring so much combined with her usual nosiness made Lena giggle, but she didn't want to stretch Hana's patience too thin.

Hey Hana!

Here's my date's ride, one of them at least. More details later, battery is awfully low

DSC0726.jpg

  
  
**Hana:** OMG  
  
          I saw that on Instagram the other day!  
  
          Who is she and what is she like?!?

 

I'm gonna bring her later ;)

  
  
Hana started typing, but Lena already held her thumb on her phone's power button. Introducing Amélie to her friends made her giddy, if a tad nervous. The fear that the crew wouldn't like her was silly and she knew that, but that didn't make it go away. Lena hadn't told anyone it was Amélie she went on a date with, because she knew she'd had her own prejudices about Amélie. Had she listened to that nagging negative voice in her head, she wouldn't have gone on that date in the first place for fear of being made fun of.  
  
Now, she was glad she didn't. Amélie's aloof facade worked maybe too well. It made Lena curious why she put it on, but she didn't want to pressure her. Taking it easy might have looked like it went out of the window when they had sex on the first date, but the more Lena thought about it, the more important it seemed.

* * *

 

Stepping into her flat after spending the night at Amélie's place made Lena sigh. It hadn't bothered her much before, but now her hands itched to tidy up at least a little. First she had to get out of these clothes though. Once she was out of her fancy outfit and in her favorite blue hoodie and colorful leggings, she set about making her place more suitable for visitors.  
  
An hour later, the washing machine whirred monotonously in the corner, the trash cans were empty for once, and all the bits and bobs strewn around were back where they belonged. Her flat hadn't been this neat in what felt like ages. All the little tasks involved in keeping it neat didn't take all that long on their own, but Lena was a master of procrastination, so they amassed over time, making her want to do them less and less. But now? Being a slob and dating Amélie felt like it wouldn't go well together. Sure, Amélie had told her she shouldn't have to change for her, but Lena didn't want to be a slob anyways.

* * *

  
It was almost time to leave. Lena started her phone back up and braced for an explosion of notifications once the messenger loaded. The neighbors probably weren't too happy about the Honda idling in the street, warming up, but it was in the middle of the day, so they could kindly piss off while she set her sat nav up. The flood of messages she expected wasn't there, just some banter in the crew group chat. Lena let out a relieved sigh. It was probably an irrational fear, but she didn't want her friends to raise their expectations too much. Before she set off, she wanted to let her date know she was on her way.  
  
As if Amélie read her mind, a text message arrived.  
  
**Amélie:** You can use the shop entrance in the back. xxx

 

On my way!

* * *

  
Traffic in Ventura Bay always picked up a bit on Friday afternoons, but once she'd left the skyscrapers of downtown behind her, the stream of cars leaving work for the weekend thinned out. Apart from a few drivers who apparently got their license from a pack of cornflakes, it should've been a calm drive. However, the closer Lena got to Amélie's shop, the more she found herself nervously tapping on the steering wheel, fidgeting in her seat. It was a very prestigious outfit, and while she knew Amélie liked her, what would her employees think of her?  
  
It wasn't long before there was no time to get any more worried. At the end of the commercial area, Lena drove past an unassuming dark gray building with gleaming showroom windows. Above them, a sign said 'ALM Performance' in understated, white-lit letters. She turned around the corner, and sure enough, the backside of the grey block was barred off with a massive sliding gate, not too different from the one in front of Amélie's house. This one had a black tarp attached to it, however. Lena parked in front of it and while she fished around in the center console for her phone, the gate rolled open.  
  
Nobody was in the yard, but the machinery parked there made Lena's jaw drop. A white Porsche 911 GT3 RS casually sat next to a red AMG GT-S, but that wasn't even the most exciting thing. Parked with its front to the wall, the retina-piercing green of a Lamborghini Huracán missing its rear bumper almost made Lena overlook the two turbochargers tucked behind the engine. Eventually, she remembered she still stood in the middle of the yard looking like a lost sheep and reversed into the spot next to the Lamborghini, much slower than she was used to.  
  
When Lena shut the engine off, a woman stood in front of the Honda. She had an undercut with intricate patterns shaved into the stubble, and the tips of her black hair ended just a bit above her shoulders in bright purple. There was something familiar about her, and when Lena got out of her car, she knew why. There was no way she'd forget that smirk. A few years ago, at Autódromo Guadalajara, they'd run into each other testing magnetic dampers. Olivia was the one responsible for their programming, and she'd had to work closely with Lena. She'd been an oddball then, but now she showed it. They'd run into each other at the bar after the testing week was over. And then again. Lena didn't remember much of that night. What she did remember was that Olivia was gone the next day and a rather unflattering photo of Lena made the rounds.  
  
"What a bloody coincidence meeting you here," Lena said. Part of her wanted to still be upset, about the picture and that Olivia didn't tell her she was in town, but Olivia's disarming grin put an end to that.  
  
"Cheers, love, the cavalry's here," Olivia giggled, reminding Lena of one of their pub crawls. "Good seeing you too." She averted her gaze and shrugged. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you anything."  
  
"You better make up for that," Lena said as sternly as possible and slammed the Honda's door shut. She couldn't keep the act up for long, though. Olivia struggled to keep her balance after Lena tackle-hugged her.  
  
When Lena finally let go, Olivia folded her arms. "Aw, c’mon, I thought I already put that right."  
  
Lena stared at her quizzically. "What do you mean? We just met again!"  
  
An impish smile crept onto Olivia's face. "Who do you think dared Amélie to date the winner of that race? And where do you think she got your number from?" she asked. When Lena didn't say anything, she poked her on the nose. "Boop! You're welcome."  
  
"Wait. You work here?" Lena punched Olivia in the arm. "You really should've said something."  
  
"Duh. Taradita."  
  
"Muppet."

* * *

 

They walked into the workshop area together. It was impressively clean, and every one of the four lifts was occupied. Some Spanish rap music played from speakers installed under the ceiling, and the smell of gasoline, oil and engine coolant hung in the air. Every once in a while, the angry whir of impact wrenches drowned out the music, followed soon after by the mechanics yelling for parts and tools. There was routine in every move they made. Lena envied them for that, working on her own car would go so much quicker if she had that practice.  
  
"Gabe!" Olivia yelled. "She's here!"  
  
Lena whipped her head around when a wrench clattered onto one of the metal workbenches, followed by a set of work gloves. Gabe was tall and handsome, if a bit gruff. As he approached with long, powerful strides, Lena spotted the skull print on his shirt. He eyed her suspiciously before extending a calloused hand. Lena took it and immediately had to try not to show any reaction to his handshake that couldn't really be called 'firm' anymore.  
  
"And you must be Lena," he said, with a look that silenced any reply Lena could've come up with. "Don't screw this up. I will come for you," he growled and walked back to the Golf R he'd been working on.  
  
"What was that all about?" Lena asked.  
  
"Ah, he's being protective." Olivia shrugged. "Or at least I think he is."

* * *

 

When Olivia shoved her through the door to the office, Amélie was there to greet her with a wink, pointing at the phone in her hand. Lena gestured at one of the armchairs in her office and waited for a nod before she sat down as quietly as possible, trying not to interrupt Amélie's phone call. Amélie's office was just as stylish as her home and herself, with sleek furniture and an open design. One of the walls was used as a blackboard, with neat notes scribbled all over it. In one corner, there was a tally chart keeping track of how many sockets the mechanics had lost. The room had two windows, one looking out into the showroom, the other into the workshop. Amélie could keep a watchful eye on the goings on in her company from here. A huge TV hung on the wall behind her desk. Lena imagined that it'd be used to brainstorm design ideas with customers.  
  
It wasn't long before Amélie ended the call and got up from her chair. She eyed Lena up and down.  
  
"You look good in a suit, _ma chére_ ," she said, "but this is more... you. I like it." She walked around Lena's chair and softly rubbed her shoulders. "You've met Gabe?"  
  
Lena wiggled her hand. "Yeah, I did. He almost crushed my hand and told me not to screw this up," she said, making a serious expression.  
  
"Mhm. He can be... overprotective. He was mad at me for days after the race. I keep telling him to stop," Amélie chuckled and took Lena's battered hand into her own, brushing her thumb over its back. "So... what do you think?"  
  
"It's bloody amazing. And I've only been here for a few minutes," Lena said. "I have a question though: Since when does Olivia work here?"  
  
"About half a year ago." Amélie paused and raised an eyebrow. "You know each other, don't you? Explains why she told me so much about your driving..."  
  
"That little shit... But I'm glad she had that dare with you, luv, I really am. Almost makes me forget that she didn't tell me she was in town for half a year," Lena said.  
  
Amélie hesitated before she leant down and pressed a kiss to Lena's lips. Lena closed her eyes and snaked an arm around Amélie's neck to gently pull her back down for seconds.  
  
"Olivia does wiring, ECU programming and car electronics installs for us," Amélie said as they separated. "She's been a great help." She chuckled. "But enough about her. I want to see your little Honda and the rest of the group. I'm done with work for today."  
  
"Brilliant! Let's go!" Lena jumped out of her chair and almost bounced on the spot while she waited for Amélie to grab her purse and shut the computer down.  
  
When they walked into the courtyard, Lena caught Olivia giving her a thumbs up from the corner of her eye. Lena pushed the button on her remote, and the Honda opened its locks with a sharp clack and a flash of its LED indicators.  
  
"Hop in," Lena said. "Oh, but mind the rollcage. You're a bit taller than me."  
  
"I've gotten into a race car before," Amélie reminded her.  
  
"Oh. Right. I... ugh."  
  
_Dropped a clanger again._  
  
Amélie caught on. "Thanks for looking out for me," she said with a soft smile.

* * *

 

Once they sat in the car, Lena couldn't help but be impressed when Amélie put on the racing harness with practiced movements. She almost forgot to start the car, but with Amélie's golden eyes darting across all the gauges Lena had installed, she finally fired the four-banger up. Its raspy bark reverberated in the courtyard and Lena recognized the way Amélie turned her head slightly to better listen to the engine. It always ran lumpy on a cold start, which came from the upgraded camshafts.  
  
Lena selected first gear, switched the headlights on, disengaged the e-brake and let the car roll out of the courtyard. There were dark strips of burnt rubber on the street outside Amélie's shop Lena hadn't noticed before. Were those from her customers or did her mechanics make them? She decided not to add any to the collection and started steering the Honda towards the Overboost crew's favorite café.  
  
"The engine picks up revs rather quickly anyways, so I didn't really bother with improving low end torque," Lena started explaining. "The turbo comes on boost around four and a half, and then ya gotta be sure you have traction."  
  
Once on the highway, she looked around in the mirrors for possible police cars, and when she didn't find any, she gave Amélie a little demonstration of the Honda's straight line acceleration. With an angry hiss, it darted forwards and pressed the women into their seats. At around 8500 rpm, Lena let off the throttle and turned to look at Amélie, who gave her a bright smile.  
  
"It's so lively!" she said over the sound of backfire ricocheting off the highway's concrete walls. "You could get into a lot of trouble with it."  
  
"Oh yeah," Lena confirmed, "so far I've managed to avoid being pulled over. But you also really have to watch out for the rear end. It's a tad light for the power." She took a look in the rear view mirror. "Speaking of which..."  
  
A group of three red sports coupés shot past, weaving through traffic, a herd of police cruisers chasing after them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ### Translations
> 
> Taradita - Dumbass
> 
> ### Notes
> 
> This chapter's a bit slower, gotta get some exposition in there somewhere. The updates have been slow, but a) I'm a slow writer anyways and b) I currently have all sorts of stuff going on in my life, so I couldn't always find time to write. Thanks for sticking with it until now! Another thanks to twoheartedalien and Nox for looking over my stuff again and to Taff for being a great host.
> 
> As always, comments are very welcome!
> 
>  


	5. The crew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lena's friends meet Lena's date

"Bloody hell!" Lena yelled as she looked in the rearview mirror to see if anything else was coming. "What utter fucking knobs!"  
  
With a frown on her face and brows drawn together, she shifted down a gear; slowed down enough to not cause further alarm with the other drivers on the highway.  
  
She gave Amélie a sheepish look. "Sorry," she said.  
  
Amélie chuckled. "Don't worry, there is quite a bit of cursing between the mechanics in my shop, too. I'm used to it." She gave Lena a reassuring smile. "It's just better to assume customers aren't."  
  
"Oh, right, I just— " Lena interrupted herself. Did she have to stick her foot in her mouth every time she said something? "I thought it wasn't, er, proper." This woman would drive her crazy, and not in a bad way.  
  
Amélie leant her head against the seat, and her knowing smile came back. "Did anything about last night seem proper to you,  _ chérie _ ?"  
  
Lena's cheeks reddening was enough of an answer. "Anyways," she threw in, "I'd love to get hold of those pillocks so I can give them an opinion and a half."  
  
"You'll get your chance, I'm sure," Amélie said. "Do you think your friends might want to help getting rid of them?"  
  
"Definitely! Wanna ask them today?" Lena looked around and switched onto the off-ramp towards Royal Park.  
  
"I might." Amélie raised an eyebrow. "After all, it would be strange if just two women asked a large group of people to leave town if they don't stop their recklessness, no?"

* * *

 

A few intersections after they left the highway, a police interceptor stopped next to them at a stoplight. Its wheel arches were taller than the Honda's hood, and Lena had to crane her neck up to see the police officer looking down at them through the passenger window. She'd done nothing wrong, and she knew her car was road legal, but there was a strange pressure to act normal now. When the light turned green, Lena accelerated away slowly, shifting early, so hopefully, the cops wouldn't suspect any illegal modifications that weren't there, wouldn't suspect her to be part of the problem.  
  
"Is everything alright?" Amélie asked, her voice soft.  
  
"Yeah, but..." Lena's voice trailed off as the interceptor fell back and merged into her lane directly behind her. She took a deep breath. "Let's just say law enforcement and I weren't always on the best of terms."  
  
Amélie gave a slow nod. "I see."  
  
It took two more intersections before the police car made a right turn. Lena relaxed her grip on the steering wheel, and Amélie caressed her cheek lightly.  
  
"I'll tell that story another time, yeah?" Lena offered. It was a heavy topic, but she'd have to tell Amélie eventually.  
  
"If you want to," Amélie said. "I think we will have more than enough opportunities to share stories."  
  
Lena steered the Honda onto the parking lot of  _ The Brake Point _ , careful not to scrape the oil pan or any of the bodywork on the curb. "If Olivia's told you any, I'm gonna have to, so I can put them right," Lena frowned.  
  
"Do you?" Amélie raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Well yeah," Lena said, and when she found Hana's widebody Hyundai Genesis Coupé, she reversed into the spot next to it. "Dunno what rubbish she told you." She shot Amélie a grin, pulled the handbrake, and shut the engine off.  
  
"For the little time you spent together, you two certainly have some colorful history," Amélie said.  
  
Lena shrugged and rubbed her neck. "Eh, we were both young and stupid." They both got out of the car, and Lena gave the door handle a probing pull after she locked it. "Not saying we aren't anymore, but ya know…  _ more so _ ."  
  
That made Amélie snicker. She rounded the rear of the Honda with her usual confident strides, before she stopped on the sidewalk in front of the café's entrance. "I might have been taking life too seriously lately," she mused, and, with a smirk, added, "It seems like I've come to the right people."  
  
Lena followed her gaze to the sparkly blue rear quarter panel of Hana's Hyundai, where the words 'To respect and swerve' were displayed in bright pink, hand-written letters, just above the wide, riveted on overfenders. Burnt rubber caked the wheel wells, the remainder of abused tires sacrificed in the name of a good time.  
  
"Yeah, what's the point when you're not having fun?" Lena asked. "Come on in!"  
  
Amélie took one last look at the broken rear bumper that was held together with carefully stitched zip ties like a sutured wound. Lena watched her letting her gaze wander along the Hyundai’s battle-scarred body lines before Amélie turned to follow Lena inside. Whoever it was who spread the rumor that Amélie would turn her nose up at things that didn't cost at least six-figures, Lena was sure that person had never actually met her.   


* * *

Inside, the smell of coffee and freshly baked apple pie filled the room. A few of the wooden tables were occupied with customers either chatting quietly over pastries or deeply engrossed in whatever was on their laptop screens. Suzie, the waitress, gave Lena a bright smile from behind the counter and gestured towards one of the larger booths, before she saw Amélie and added a thumb's up. Lena nodded at her. Hana's familiar white baseball cap poked out over the rough leather backrest of the booth Suzie had pointed at, and with a few quick steps, Lena stood behind it.  
  
"Hi Hana!" she greeted cheerfully, grabbing at the woman’s shoulders, which caused her to almost drop her phone.  
  
"Holy shit, Lena, jeez! Could you not?" Hana took her pink hoodie and her bag off the seat next to her with a glare before she scooted over a bit.  
  
Lena gestured for Amélie to sit, and a huge grin formed on her face as she watched Hana freeze when Amélie offered her hand to shake.  
  
"Amélie Lacroix, pleased to meet you," Amélie said. "You can call me Amélie."  
  
After a brief pause and with wide eyes, Hana shook Amélie's hand. "I'm Hana. Um. Likewise."  
  
As Lena sat down, Hana leant forwards to look past Amélie, nearly knocking her milkshake off the table in the process. " _She_ was your date?" Her voice almost doubled over. "Lena, do you know who she is?"  
  
"Yep," Lena grinned.  
  
Amélie shifted in her seat, just enough for Lena to notice. If just Hana fawning over her did this, Lena didn't want to imagine what a legion of fans on the internet would do to her, along with the rumor mill that would undoubtedly start churning out one ridiculous theory after the other.  
  
"Hana," Amélie said with a hint of desperation in her voice, "please don't treat me differently just because I won a few races years ago."  
  
Brushing a strand of her long brown hair behind her hair, Hana blinked. "Uh, sure, sorry! Not a great base for getting to know someone, I guess." She sat back and took a loud sip from her milkshake. "So, Lena, huh? Good choice, but you're in for a ride."  
  
"Hana!" Lena did her best to shoot her a glare, but she couldn’t suppress the giggle that bubbled out.  
  
With a flutter of her eyelids, Amélie gave Lena a suggestive glance, before she turned back to Hana. "A ride, hm? I believe I know what you mean," she said and let out a low chuckle.  
  
"Amélie!" Heat rose up in Lena's cheeks, and Hana's eyes went wide, too.  
  
"Ooh, I like her. You can keep this one, Lena," Hana said.  
  
Lena let out a theatrical sigh. "Well, thanks for your permission." She let her head fall back against the headrest and her eyes wander across the hundreds of old license plates that hung from the ceiling.  
  
After a pause that was only interrupted by Hana's milkshake fighting the straw, Amélie relaxed against Lena's shoulder and crossed her legs. "Is that your Genesis out there, Hana?" Amélie asked.  
  
"Yep!" She started beaming. "It's super cool, right?"  
  
"It looks like a lot of fun," Amélie said. "Judging from the battle scars and the suspension geometry, I take it you go drifting with it?"  
  
Hana sat up straight, and Lena had to smile. It was relieving to see Hana hitting it off with Amélie. The rest of the group still had to arrive, but at least it didn't look like Amélie would feel left out.  
  
"Yup! I'd compete in pro-am if studying law didn't take so much time." Hana took her cap off and ran a hand through her hair before she put it back on, this time with the brim facing forwards. A bittersweet smile darted across her face. "My parents think it's a waste of time and money. I don't. Korean parents, I guess." She shrugged.  
  
"Oh, it's definitely not. What's the setup?" Amélie asked.  
  
"Four-litre stroker kit, a Rotrex supercharger, an angle kit, and some coilovers, basically," Hana said.  
  
Lena chuckled. "You should see her letting loose, half of her allowance goes up in smoke on race day."  
  
"You're doing it right, then," Amélie said with an appreciative nod.

* * *

The rumble of several engines making the café's windows shake interrupted their conversation, and Suzie stopped at the table, arms akimbo.  
  
"I'm gonna wait to take your orders until the others sit down," she said.  
  
Soon after, the door swung open, and Angela and Fareeha walked in, closely followed by Winston and Jack. The women unlinked their arms to greet Suzie before they sat down and noticed Amélie. They gave her a warm smile, reached across the table to shake her hand.  
  
"Angela Ziegler — "  
  
"— and Fareeha Amari. Pleased to meet you."  
  
"Likewise," Amélie said. "Amélie Lacroix."  
  
Lena had to grin when both of their gazes landed on her. They'd assured her she'd find someone soon often enough.  
  
"Lena!" Winston's deep voice sounded across the table.  
  
His hairy arms were spread wide, and Lena jumped into his bear hug. "Hey there, big guy! How was the trade show?"  
  
"Uh, fine, I mean, made a bunch of connections, but um—" He put his hands on Lena's shoulders, held her away and looked at her with a smile, "— I heard you won a race! Congratulations!"  
  
"Thanks!" Lena threw an awkward glance towards Amélie and caught Jack's frown from the corner of her eye.  
  
She sat back down with an uneasy feeling in her stomach.  
  
Winston didn't catch on to Jack's furrowed brows. "And you brought a date, too!" He stepped around the booth to shake Amélie's hand over the backrest. "Winston Freeman, pleasure."  
  
He sat down himself, which left Jack standing with his arms crossed, before he wordlessly let himself fall into the seat next to Angela. His face showed something boiling inside him for a second before he spoke.  
  
"She wouldn't have won if  _ she _ hadn't helped." There was a growl in his voice that Lena had never heard from him before.  
  
Fareeha leant forwards to look past Angela. "What are you saying, Jack?"  
  
"I'm saying that she blocked the black Challenger and then the young Shimada on his bike so Lena could win," Jack muttered. "Not something I like to see in a race."  
  
Lena drew in air and shifted in her seat. Jack was always a bit too confrontational for her tastes. What would his cardiologist say about that? It wasn't like he was getting any younger. She looked at Amélie, who raised her eyebrows and smirked ever so slightly.  
  
"Jack," Angela said, her voice low and stern.  
  
"You seem to think I went into this race with unsportsmanlike intentions, — Jack, was it? — I can assure you I just raced to the best of my abilities," Amélie said with no sign of wavering or insecurity in her voice. "I merely punished a mistake in Gabriel's racing line, and at the end, I had to choose between attempting to overtake Lena or keeping my second place secure. Simple race tactics."  
  
Lena did her best not to snicker when the wrinkles on Jack's forehead deepened.  
  
"I'm sure Genji isn't too upset about it," Angela threw in. "He would've complained about it by now otherwise. Anyway, I need coffee, so let's order already."  
  
Suzie let out a hearty laugh and flipped open her notepad. "Thanks, dear, I was wondering when I could butt in. So, what does everyone want?"  
  
While the rest of the crew told Suzie what to get for them, Amélie leant in close to Lena. No matter what they did last night, it still made her blush. "Any recommendations,  _ chérie? _ " She whispered.  
  
"The muffins are amazing. They've got all kinds of flavors!"  
  
Suzie looked at Lena expectantly. "The usual?"  
  
"Yep!" Lena gave a beaming grin. "I always get a chocolate muffin." She almost began to drool when she mentioned it.  
  
"Do you have blueberry muffins?" Amélie asked.  
  
Suzie nodded.  
  
"Then I'll have one of those, please."  
  
When Suzie was done taking orders, Lena giggled. "You really like blue, don't you?"   


* * *

Soon after, Suzie came back balancing plates on both arms and vanished back to the counter with a quick "Enjoy!"  
  
Lena couldn't wait. She took the warm muffin that was easily bigger than both of her fists combined into both hands and took a bite. Sweet, chocolaty bliss filled her mouth, and she let out a sigh of pleasure. Licking crumbs off her lips, she glanced up at Amélie, who looked at her with an amused twinkle in her eyes. Amélie had stopped her fork in front of her own mouth to watch Lena dig in.  
  
"What?" Lena asked, feigning indignation. "It's delicious!"  
  
Amélie gave a smile. "I can see that,  _ chérie.  _ You have chocolate on your cheek." She held eye contact while she put the cake fork into her mouth, making heat rise into Lena's cheeks. Again.  
  
"You two are getting along well," Fareeha said dryly.  
  
"Shut up." The corners of Lena's lips desperately tried to pull down into a frown, but she couldn't stop her grin, so she resorted to just taking another bite.  
  
That only made Fareeha chuckle more. "How's the muffin, Amélie?"  
  
It took a second for her to answer — the look on her face spoke volumes about how she liked it. "I'll be coming here a lot more often, if you don't mind," she said.  
  
"No objections here." Fareeha cut off a piece of her apple pie.  
  
Lena was almost done with her muffin — which was a shame — when Amélie broke the collective pastry eating silence. "So, how did you meet? You're a very diverse group."  
  
"Winston here keeps collecting people at track days and meets," Angela explained. "There aren't many weekends he stays in town." She leant forward to see past Fareeha and Jack and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Right?"  
  
Winston looked up from collecting crumbs on his place. "Hm? Oh, uh, yeah. I'm driving 300 miles tomorrow to visit a show."  
  
"And you're all from different scenes?" Amélie asked. "I don't believe I've ever seen a crew like yours."  
  
"Well, I just think that people don't all need to do the same thing with their cars to share, uh, their enjoyment for them, if that makes sense?" Winston ran a hand through his full, black beard.  
  
Amélie gave a thoughtful hum. "So you visit shows and do track days?"  
  
Lena had a hunch what she was trying to find out. "Yup! We don't do anything on the street — well, save for maybe looking really good." That earned her a chuckle. "We also help each other out with our cars."  
  
Amélie straightened in her seat and took a deep breath. "Have you noticed a group of street racers lately?"  
  
There were affirming nods and hums all around the table, even from Jack, with his arms crossed in front of his chest.  
  
"One of them wanted to race me today and almost caused a crash," said Angela, rolling her eyes. "When they're this obnoxious, it's hard not to notice."  
  
Amélie scoffed. "Well, the FBI noticed too. I suppose you know what that means."  
  
There was another round of nodding, this time with raised eyebrows.  
  
"I mean really, a bunch of those bastards passed us on the way here, being chased by the police!" Lena threw her hands up in frustration and almost hit the table when she dropped them again. "If they're gonna be knobheads, they could at least be smart about it, for crying out loud."  
  
Hana let out a long sigh, took her hat off and fiddled with its clasp. "Great. That means more police activity and tougher crackdowns on vehicles. Just what we needed," she said.  
  
"Exactly. I talked about this with Lena yesterday," Amélie said, giving Lena a fond smile, "and we thought we should try challenging them to a race, and when they lose, they have to leave town."  
  
An almost villainous grin appeared on Fareeha's face. "I like that you said 'when.' I'm in."  
  
"I didn't even ask yet," Amélie said.  
  
"You don't need to." Fareeha's brows drew together, and her jaw tightened. Lena had only seen that look on her face when a bolt refused to come loose before. "These people think they can do whatever they want and destroy our community. They're wrong."  
  
Jack cleared his throat. "Think we can all agree we want these people to stop whatever they're doing," he said, and sharply exhaled out of his nose. "Question is, how do we get them to agree to a race? And where would we race anyway?"  
  
Lena looked up to Amélie, watched her close her eyes for a moment before she spoke.  
  
"Those are good questions, and if you have suggestions, we could use them. I just wanted to know if you'd be on board, for now," Amélie said, before she tilted her head to the side. "Although, you have a point. We should find answers to those questions quickly, because the longer we wait, the more reckless they become."  
  
"Yeah, but what do we do if they don't agree or if they don't honor the agreement?" Hana asked.  
  
"Then we will be able to give a lot of valuable tips to the FBI," Amélie said with a wicked smirk.  
  
Once again, there were appreciative nods around the table, and Winston leant forwards with his elbows on the table. "Well, um, let's keep our eyes and ears open for now until we have a more specific plan." He looked around the table, looked everyone in the eyes briefly. "In my experience, rushing in without a plan doesn't work often."  
  
Amélie gave a short nod, and Lena hummed in agreement. There was a brief silence in which everyone waited for someone else to say something.  
  
Hana broke it. "So, Amélie, what do you drive?"  
  
"Right now I have two Audis, a TTRS and an RS7." Amélie fiddled with her ponytail, raised her eyebrows. "I suppose you could say they aren't stock anymore," she added with an impish grin.  
  
Lena snorted, trying to hold back a laugh. "Bit of an understatement, isn't it, love?"   


* * *

The conversation went on for a while, but after about an hour, the group got ready to leave. Suzie waved after them after they'd all paid, and a circle formed in the parking lot.  
  
"It was nice seeing you all again," Winston said, "and meeting you, Amélie. I'll, uh, keep my eyes open, as I said. Have a nice evening!"  
  
As he started turning around to walk to his car, Lena jumped into his arms. "Take lots of pictures, yeah? See ya, big guy!"  
  
After Lena hugged Angela and Fareeha goodbye too, they got into Angela's white Mercedes A45 AMG together. Morrison gave her his usual firm handshake before he unlocked his Mustang. Hana winked at her when she got into her Hyundai, and soon, Lena found herself behind the wheel of her Honda again. She didn't start the engine.  
  
"That went well," she said and found Amélie's eyes with hers.  
  
"Mhm." A smile played around Amélie's lips, and Lena forgot she was still parked in front of a café for a moment.  
  
Heat rose into Lena's cheeks again. This woman was unbelievable. Just a hum of her voice and Lena melted.  
  
"I like your friends," Amélie said.  
  
"I'm glad."  
  
Lena leant over the center console and brushed her thumb across Amélie's cheek before she kissed her, gently, without much urgency. Amélie took Lena's wrist into her hand and kissed back, more passionate. The bucket seat's bolsters pressed into the side of her chest, but Lena didn't care. All she cared about was how Amélie's tongue moved along her lips and how she still faintly tasted of blueberries.  
  
"Do you have plans for tomorrow?" Amélie's voice was only a murmur.  
  
Lena shook her head.  
  
"Then, do you want to spend the rest of the evening watching movies and help me cook something simple at my place?"  
  
Lena inwardly screamed 'YES!' before Amélie finished asking her question. "I'd love to."  
  
Amélie's face lit up, and Lena's heart skipped a beat. "Before we drive to my house, do you need to get anything from your place first? And how does omelet sound?"  
  
"Omelet sounds great, and yeah, you have a point," Lena said. She let out an amused huff. "At what point do we order a U-Haul?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's been a while!
> 
> Since I posted the last chapter, I:  
>  \- moved  
>  \- did a project for university  
>  \- participated in a fanzine (check it out: [FemWatch - The Overwatch Femslash Zine](http://femwatchthezine.tumblr.com))  
>  \- upgraded my motorcycle license  
>  \- had Finals™
> 
> I have plans for this tho. Updates are slow, but updates will come. Whenever they're done. Thanks for sticking around if you've waited patiently!


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